* Another ship carrying 40MT of liquid medical oxygen, provided by France and facilitated by Qatar, arrives in Mumbai * Indian official thanks Indian community members, Qatari and French authorities for assistance
An Indian naval ship carrying oxygen cylinders and concentrators from Qatar and Kuwait has reached the Indian port of New Mangalore.
"Establishing a sea-bridge through Operation Samudra Setu-II to augment our oxygen availability," Indian Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet on Monday, referring to the arrival of 'INS Kolkata' at New Mangalore Port.
It was carrying 400 oxygen cylinders and 47 oxygen concentrators provided through donations by the Indian community in Qatar and Kuwait, as well as 40 metric tonnes (MT) of liquid medical oxygen provided by Kuwait.
As reported in Gulf Times recently, 200 oxygen cylinders and 43 oxygen concentrators were shipped from Qatar to India recently aboard ‘INS Kolkata’ to support India’s efforts to deal with the surge in Covid-19 cases there and to meet the demand for medical oxygen.
The cylinders and concentrators were provided by members of the Indian community in Qatar through the Indian Community Benevolent Forum.
"A special thanks for the generous donation to the Indian community in Kuwait for 200 oxygen cylinders and four oxygen concentrators, and to the community in Qatar for 200 oxygen cylinders and 43 oxygen concentrators," Bagchi said.
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A tanker being offloaded from 'INS Trikand' in Mumbai.
The Indian navy has launched ‘Operation Samudra Setu-II’ to meet the country’s oxygen requirements amid the surge in Covid-19 cases. As part of this initiative, the navy has deployed seven ships - ‘INS Kolkata, Kochi, Talwar, Tabar, Trikand, Jalashwa and Airavat’ - for shipment of oxygen-filled cryogenic containers and associated medical equipment from various countries.
A second consignment of 232 oxygen cylinders, of 42-litre and 50-litre capacity, also provided through donations by Indian expatriates, left Qatar a few days later aboard 'INS Tarkash'.
Meanwhile, another ship, 'INS Trikand', arrived in Mumbai carrying two cryogenic tankers with 20 metric tonnes of liquid medical oxygen each, provided by France and facilitated by the French embassy in Doha along with the relevant Qatari authorities.
"First consignment of 40MT liquid medical oxygen reaches India and quickly cleared by customs. Teamwork and global support for India in fight against corona," the Indian embassy tweeted on Monday.
"A joint endeavour across the seas. Operation Setu-II in action. INS Trikand arrives in naval dockyard, Mumbai," Bagchi tweeted. "Grateful to our friend France for this valuable contribution showcasing our strong co-operation. Thank our friend Qatar for quick facilitation in co-operation with the French embassy in Qatar."